Patty B

There was a time when plywood boats looked—well, plywoody. But since the 1980s Sam Devlin has been designing watercraft of increasingly sophisticated beauty, inspired by classic forms and carrying sumptuous curves and graceful proportions. To our eyes, the Song Wren looks more like it sprang from the sculpture garden than the lumberyard. The three-sail gaff cutter rig spreads a very generous 301 square feet of sail area, so the Song Wren sails eagerly in Puget Sound’s notoriously light summer air and asks for early reefing. The cabin, though compact, is fitted out as luxuriously as possible and provides reasonable overnight comfort.